Every teacher needs formative assessment activities in their
life. Without them, we teach are essentially blind to what our students know
and don’t know. After writing 5 formative assessments for the English
classroom, I've decided to put together a neat page of formative assessments
that teachers can use in the classroom. In essence, all formative assessments
do the same thing: they force students to provide concrete evidence of their
knowledge. However, by changing up the way we gather this information every
once in a while, we keep the classroom fresh and vibrant.
Anecdotal Check Sheet
Never forget the handy, dandy check sheet. It’s quick, it’s
easy, and it gives quick evidence to show that students actually understood
what you were teaching. The most important thing to remember when using check
sheets is that have to make sure their work is right and not just
completed. Don’t check them off for just completing it!
Exit Slip
Exit slips are a pretty simple concept. Within the last few
minutes of the class, ask students to complete a task and take it up as they
walk out the door. A simple read through shows who got it and who didn’t. The
only problem with exit slips? The students are gone when it comes time to
correct them. Since instruction needs to be immediate, exit slips tend to lose
their effectiveness.
Sticky Notes
Formative Assessment stems from the ability to read a
student’s work and know that they understood your instruction. One of my
favorite ways to do this is to place sticky notes on each student’s desk and
have them answer a specific question testing the learning target at certain
times throughout the period. A quick read through will show who got it and who
didn’t.
Pair and Share
I LOVE pair and share activities. It’s not as much an actual
formative assessment as it is a simple compliment to the others on this list.
Think of it this way: You’ve given out sticky notes and have now taken them up.
Once you’ve determined who understood your material, you can easily pair up
your students into small instructional teams. Simply put, 10 teachers are
better than 1.
Student/Teacher Conferencing
I’m a huge proponent of student/teacher conferencing. It can
be difficult to teach 30+ children in a class, but getting to know each and
every one of them as an individual is a different animal. By student/teacher
conferencing, you can kill two birds with one stone: you get to better
understand a student’s progress in the class, and perhaps also have a few
minutes to talk with your student about their aspirations, hobbies, and other
interests that may relate to your teachings. However, there is one problem…
student/teacher conferences take forever. You’re looking at an entire period if
you decide to do this so be sure to have a way to keep your student’s busy, or
else it’s going to be a long day.
Demonstration of Skills
A teacher’s ability to circulate is one of the most powerful
actions a teacher can take. There’s no better formative assessment than asking
a student to perform a skill on the spot. Whether it’s identifying a noun, or
writing a thesis statement, asking students to demonstrate their understanding
is an excellent way to determine what they know.
As seen on the West Virginia Department of Education
website, Four Corners is a formative assessment that incorporates grouping and
discussion. Essentially, you’ll ask students a certain situation and they’ll
have four options. Each corner signifies a certain response, after moving to
the corners, you’ll ask students why they feel their response is the correct
one. While this formative assessment game allows students to interact in ways
differing of others on this list, I feel it does have its flaws. For one, many
students will simply look for the “smart kid’s corner” and gather there. Even
if they don’t know the answer, they can actively deceive the teacher into
thinking they do. Of course, asking each student why they feel that way will definitely
give a clearer view, it’s also very time-consuming. You can read more about it
if you’re interested: http://wvde.state.wv.us/teach21/FourCorners.html
Shooting for Points
When I had my first teaching job, I had some ridiculous
formative assessments. One in particular that I did was “shooting for points.”
In the middle of the lesson I asked everyone to stop what they were doing. I
then asked students a question pertaining to the learning target. Once they had
answered, I placed a bucket near the front of the room and asked them to “shoot”
it in. If they made it, I gave them a bonus point. If they missed it… well… I
just had to pick it up. In the end, it’s no different than having them hand
their paper in, but it gives them a fun, entertaining way to do it.
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